Power supply apparatuses are essential for many electronic appliances such as personal computers, industrial computers, servers, communication products or network products. Normally, the power supply apparatus may provide stable electricity to the electronic appliance. In a case that the power supply apparatus has a breakdown, the electronic appliance is possibly damaged or the data stored in the electronic appliance is lost. For enhancing capacity and reliability of power supply, a redundant power supply system has been proposed. The redundant power supply system includes a plurality of separated power supply apparatuses, which are electrically to each other and contained in a system cabinet. During operation of the redundant power supply system, individual power supply apparatuses share responsibility for providing electricity to the electronic appliance. If one of the power supply apparatuses has a breakdown and fails to normally provide electricity, the others could continuously provide electricity to the loads.
Referring to FIG. 1(a), a schematic exploded view of a conventional redundant power supply system is illustrated. The redundant power supply system 1 principally includes a system cabinet 10, a first power supply apparatus 11 and a second power supply apparatus 12. The system cabinet 10 includes a first receptacle 102 and a second receptacle 103, which are separated by a partition plate 101. The first power supply apparatus 11 and the second power supply apparatus 12 are accommodated within the first receptacle 102 and the second receptacle 103, respectively. The redundant power supply system 1 further includes a backside plate 13 inside the system cabinet 10. A first insertion slot 131 and a second insertion slot 132 are disposed on the backside plate 13. The first connection interface 111 of the first power supply apparatus 11 and the second connection interface 121 of the second power supply apparatus 12 are respectively inserted into the first insertion slot 131 and the second insertion slot 132 so as to be electrically connected to the backside plate 13. A power cable 14 is extended from the outer surface of the backside plate 13, so that the electricity provided by the redundant power supply system 1 is transmitted to an electronic appliance via the power cable 14.
Since the backside plate 13 of the redundant power supply system 1 is an adapter interface for transferring the electricity provided by the first power supply apparatus 11 and the second power supply apparatus 12. Under this circumstance, no power converting circuit is arranged on the backside plate 13. For converting input voltages into regulated voltages, the first power supply apparatus 11 and the second power supply apparatus 12 further include power converting circuits such as AC-to-DC converting circuits or DC-to-DC converting circuits. When the first connection interface 111 of the first power supply apparatus 11 and the second connection interface 121 of the second power supply apparatus 12 are respectively inserted into the first insertion slot 131 and the second insertion slot 132 of the backside plate 13, the power converting circuits inside the first power supply apparatus 11 and the second power supply apparatus 12 are electrically to the electronic appliance. As a consequence, the first power supply apparatus 11 and the second power supply apparatus 12 are relatively long. In a case that one of the power supply apparatuses has a breakdown and fails to normally provide electricity, the other power supply apparatus could continuously provide electricity to the electronic appliance. However, there are still some drawbacks. For example, the heat generated from the backside plate 13 fails to be effectively dissipated away. In addition, the airflows driven by the fans inside the power supply apparatuses are impeded by the backside plate 13. Since no additional airflow is provided in the system cabinet 10, the redundant power supply system 1 has insufficient heat-dissipating efficiency, lowered power-converting efficiency or shortened life.
Referring to FIG. 1(b), a schematic exploded view of another conventional redundant power supply system is illustrated. The redundant power supply system 1 principally includes a system cabinet 15, a first power supply apparatus 16 and a second power supply apparatus 17. The system cabinet 15 includes a first receptacle 152 and a second receptacle 153, which are separated by a partition plate 151. The first power supply apparatus 16 and the second power supply apparatus 17 are accommodated within the first receptacle 152 and the second receptacle 153, respectively. The redundant power supply system 1 further includes a backside plate member 18 inside the system cabinet 15. The backside plate member 18 includes a first backside plate 181 and a second backside plate 182. A first insertion slot 183 and a second insertion slot 184 are disposed on the first backside plate 181 and the second backside plate 182, respectively. The first connection interface 161 of the first power supply apparatus 16 and the second connection interface 171 of the second power supply apparatus 17 are respectively inserted into the first insertion slot 183 and the second insertion slot 184 so as to be electrically connected to the first backside plate 181 and the second backside plate 182. The first backside plate 181 and the second backside plate 182 are parallel with the first power supply apparatus 16 and the second power supply apparatus 17, respectively. The first backside plate 181 and the second backside plate 182 are electrically to each other via plural circuit boards 185. The first backside plate 181, the second backside plate 182 and the circuit boards 185 cooperatively form a power converting circuit. A power cable 19 is extended from the outer surface of the second backside plate 182, so that the electricity provided by the redundant power supply system 1 is transmitted to an electronic appliance via the power cable 19.
Although the first backside plate 181, the second backside plate 182 and the circuit boards 185 cooperatively form a power converting circuit, there are still some drawbacks. Since the first backside plate 181 and the second backside plate 182 are respectively parallel with the first power supply apparatus 16 and the second power supply apparatus 17, the overall length of the redundant power supply system 1 fails to be further reduced. In addition, the configuration of the redundant power supply system 1 shown in FIG. 1(b) is very complicated and difficult to assemble. Likewise, although the other power supply apparatus could continuously provide electricity to the electronic appliance if one power supply apparatus has a breakdown, the heat generated from the backside plates fails to be effectively dissipated away. Since no additional airflow is provided in the system cabinet 15, the redundant power supply system 1 has insufficient heat-dissipating efficiency.
In views of the above-described disadvantages resulted from the conventional method, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to develop a redundant power supply system according to the present invention through wholehearted experience and research.